Shopping over the Internet has become very popular. A primary reason is convenience. A user can sit at their computer and shop from a number of different Internet web sites. Without physically moving, the user can select from different items in different sites. The prices are often lower than, or at least comparable to, what one would pay in retail stores. The shopping is very convenient.
Internet browsing provides a limited amount of information about the product. In a store, if a user wants to select between multiple items, the user consults the packaging that accompanies the product. They can read the packages, look at information on the package, and touch the package. The packaging often sells the product. Large amounts of money are spent on packaging for the products.
Internet web pages often reflect minimal information about the product packaging. Hence, shopping on the Internet is most effective when the user already knows what they want.
Software such as Apple Quicktime VR® allows some limited pseudo three-dimensional viewing.